Visit to Oakland's hostile Black Hole doesn't scare Brandon Marshall
Oakland Raiders fans tailgate before an NFL football game between the Raiders and the Denver Broncos in Oakland, Calif., Sunday, Oct. 11, 2015. Credit: AP / Jeff Chiu
There's nothing quite like the O.co Coliseum, according to Brandon Marshall.
"It's my favorite place to play," the Jets receiver said on Wednesday.
And the "Black Hole" -- made up of fervent, costume-clad fans occupying an end zone -- makes the Coliseum a hostile environment like no other.
"I played in Denver so I've battled against them a few times," said Marshall, who was with the Broncos from 2006-09. "That's my favorite stadium to play in. Every time before the game, I'll run to the Black Hole and I'll just stare at them and mean-mug them and they just throw stuff at you. It's fun. It's great football."
Football fans are passionate. But Raiders fans? They're a special breed. And they're one of the main reasons being the road team in Oakland is never fun.
"They have a smaller stadium than most, as far as it being closed in," Jets coach Todd Bowles said. "Their fans dress up more than anybody else I've seen, as far as wearing the spikes and all the other stuff. And they have a great tradition there. So it'll be a fun place to play."
Does Bowles have any fun memories of playing in Oakland?
"I remember Bo Jackson running for a touchdown," the former NFL safety said with a smile. "I don't think that was funny at the time. It might be funny now."
Jets quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick has played several times in Oakland during his 11-year career and joked: "I keep coming back in different uniforms. My parents are in Arizona, it's on the West Coast, so any time you get family that goes to a game, unfortunately they can't sport the jersey.
"The fans are pretty crazy out there. [It's like] you're in the witness protection program. I think it's a fun atmosphere. I'm sure coming off of last week's win, it'll be nice and noisy."
All kidding aside, the Jets (4-2) have taken notice of how well the Raiders (3-3) have played lately. Led by second-year quarterback Derek Carr, rookie wide receiver Amari Cooper and the third-best rushing defense in the league, the Raiders are coming off a 37-29 road win over Philip Rivers and the San Diego Chargers (2-5).
"They're big and they're tough, obviously," Bowles said when asked about Oakland's defensive front. "They're similar to Washington and New England to that standpoint. And it's going to be another tough ballgame playing them out there.
"I mean, you saw what they did to San Diego last week, so we've got our work cut out for us."
